Sewage Treatment Is A Multi-Stage Process

Sewage treatment is a multi-stage process:
 Preliminary, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary.

 Schematically we can represent the wastewater treatment as follows :
Or Physical method Or Physical method Or Biological method

includes a variety of processes
chemical
Chemical or physical method
and chemical
Preliminary Treatment
Bar Screen
Screens are made of long, closely

A comminutor (like a grinder) contains
spaced, narrow metal bars. They
a rotating cutting screen. Hence, it
block large floating material that
shreds the solid material which could
could clog pipes or pumps. Bulky
not be blocked by the screens into
materials such as sticks, wood, rags,
smaller pieces.
large food particles, toys and other
bulky objects are removed through
screening.
Grit removal :
 Inert dense material such as sand, broken glass, silt, and pebbles is called
grit.
 In the grit chamber, flow rate is slowed just enough to allow the sand and
gravel to settle on the bottom. The grit is collected and disposed of in
landfill.
Grit Chamber
Kuromata_grit_chamber, Japan
Primary Treatment : Primary sedimentation tank
Primary Sedimentation Tank
Alum (Al2(SO4)3•18H2O) forms gelatinous metal hydroxide precipitate at high

pH, it eventually settle downs along with the colloidal particles by gravity .
Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(OH)2  2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4

Secondary Treatment : Activated Sludge Method
• Wastewater flows into the aeration basin,

• A mixture of variety of organisms is added to the tank. The biological
mass is termed as activated sludge.
• Waste water brought into contact with activated sludge in the aeration
tank.
• The liquid inside the aeration basin is called “mixed liquor”
• air is injected into the wastewater either in the form of bubbles through
diffusers or by surface aerators
 Sludge is produced by this process and these sludges comprise remaining
undecomposed solids found in wastewater plus organisms used in the
treatment process.
 These sludges reach the secondary basin and collected from the bottom of
the secondary basin. These sludges will be treated along with primary
sludges.
F/M ratio
 the ratio of food to microorganisms in the reactor.
 It is calculated as the mass of BOD removed in the reactor, divided by
the mass of microorganisms in the reactor.
 The F/M ratio is an important design variable; gives you idea about the
sludges produced per day.
Sludge Treatment : Anaerobic Digestion
 Sludges generated at primary and secondary sedimentation tank are
pumped to anaerobic digesters.
 “Digestion" : substrate is heated and subjected to microbial decomopstion
 Digester : An air-tight container where the substrates are heated and the
fermentation (anaerobic decomposition of org matter) process takes place
 C6H12O6 3CH4 + 3CO2 + …………….
Important end product of Anaerobic Digestion :
Energy from sludge Treatment ( biogas formation )
Composition of biogas is
50 to 75 per cent CH4 and
25 to 45 per cent CO2 together
Biogas may be used as the source of alternative energy.

Anaerobic digester
Tertiary treatment : Water disinfection
Common Disinfection Agents are (a) chlorine and chloramines; (b)
bleaching powder; (c) chlorine dioxide; (d) ozone etc
1. By addition of chlorine
Nitrogen in municipal wastewater generally present as organic nitrogen or
ammonia.
• Trichloramine is unstable, breaks down

to N2
OR
• Chloramines cause the “chlorine” smell

• The chloramines are called
combined available chlorine. Free Chlorine, Chloramine, and
(less effective in killing bateria) breakpoint chlorination
• The ratio of Cl2: N (7.6 : 1) at which all ammonia present in the water has
been oxidized to nitrogen gas (which leaves the system) is known as
breakpoint
• Beyond BP, further addition of chlorine, will produce free available
chlorine as per following reactions
HOCl is a weak acid that dissociates
• The two chemical species formed by chlorine in water, (HOCl and OCl-),
are known as free available chlorine
• Free available chlorine is very effective in killing bacteria, but not virus.
• Chlorination beyond this point ensures formation of “free available
chlorine”. It is known as “breakpoint chlorination”
The excess chlorine may be removed

(i) by filtering the over chlorinated water through activated carbon.
(ii) by addition of a small % of SO2, Na2SO3 or Na2S2O3.
SO2 + Cl2 + 2H2O H2SO4 + 2HCl
Na2SO3 + Cl2 + 2H2O Na2SO4 + 2HCl
2. Removal of microorganisms by adding beaching powder:
In small water-works, about 1 Kg of bleaching powder per 1000kiloliters of
water is mixed and water is allowed to stand undisturbed for several hours.
This produces hypochlorous acid.
Ca(OCl)Cl + 2H2O Ca(OH)2 + Cl2
Cl2 + 2H2O HOCl + OCl- (Hypochlorite ion)
3. Ozone is sometimes used as a disinfectant in place of chlorine.
ozone is more destructive to viruses than is chlorine.
The use of ozone is growing; it is the greenest disinfection agent, because it
can be made on site with air as the raw and produces few undesirable
byproducts.
Disadvantage: Quite expensive method, hence not employed for
disinfection of municipal water supply.
4. Chlorine Dioxide
Chlorine dioxide, ClO2, is an effective water disinfectant that is of particular
interest because, it does not chlorinate or oxidize ammonia or other nitrogen-
containing compounds.
In neutral water, the two half-reactions for ClO2 acting as an oxidant are the
following:
Removal of Taste and Odor :

 Both organic and inorganic substances may produce taste, odor, and color
in water. So, before we supply the treated water for domestic purpose,
we should remove these taste, odor or colour producing substances.
 Taste, odor, and color agents can come from
i) microorganisms in the water - end products generated from biological
reactions in soil
ii) mineral substances in water,
iii) salts from soil, and
iv) from chemical pollutant sources.
Odor producing Organic substances:
 The most commonly reported taste and odor compounds, geosmin and
methylisoborneol are produced in surface water sources by naturally
occurring cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
 Geosmin and methylisoborneol typically produce earthy or musty tastes
and odors in water
Color producing inorganic substances:

 Yellow tinge indicates the presence of chromium.
 Yellowish red color tinge indicates the presence of iron.
 Red brown color indicates the presence of peaty matter.
Odor producing inorganic substances:

 Iron and hydrogen sulfide are two common inorganic compounds known
to produce odors in drinking water.
Taste producing inorganic substances:
Most of the mineral substances affect water taste but do not cause odor.
 Bitter taste is due to the presence of iron, aluminium, manganese,
sulphate or excess of lime.
 Brakish taste is due to the presence of unusual amount of salts.
Various processes are used to remove agents that cause taste & odor.
i) Simple aeration can remove volatile materials, such as odorous hydrogen
sulfide.
ii) For non-volatile metabolic products by bacteria, oxidation that destroys
organics usually removes taste, odor, and color. Chlorine, Potassium
permanganate, chlorine dioxide can be used.
iii) Ozone Water Treatment : Ozone used by itself or UV has been found to be
effective in removing geosmin and MIB.

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Sewage treatment is a multi-stage process:

 Preliminary, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary.

Or Physical method Or Physical method Or Biological method

Screens are made of long, closely

Primary Sedimentation Tank

Alum (Al2(SO4)3•18H2O) forms gelatinous metal hydroxide precipitate at high

Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(OH)2  2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4

• Wastewater flows into the aeration basin,

Biogas may be used as the source of alternative energy.

• Trichloramine is unstable, breaks down

• Chloramines cause the “chlorine” smell

HOCl is a weak acid that dissociates

The excess chlorine may be removed

Removal of Taste and Odor :

Color producing inorganic substances:

Odor producing inorganic substances:

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